❓ WA Parliament Question on Notice regarding prison staffing levels during the COVID-19 pandemic. The response details staff isolation, leave, and contingency planning for outbreaks.
AnsweredQoN 6096Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
I refer to each of the following prisons: Acacia Prison, Albany Regional Prison, Bandyup Women’s Prison, Broome Regional Prison, Bunbury Regional Prison, Casuarina Prison, Eastern Goldfields Regional Prison, Greenough Regional Prison, Hakea Prison, Karnet Prison Farm, Melaleuca Remand and Reintegration Facility, Pardelup Prison Farm, Roebourne Regional Prison, West Kimberley Regional Prison, and Wooroloo Regional Prison, and ask: (a) How many staff are currently on leave due to COVID-19/coronavirus (that is, they have been diagnosed with COVID-19/coronavirus symptoms); (b) How many prison officer staff are on leave due to concerns about contracting COVID-19/coronavirus (i.e. they do not have symptoms but are on leave due to their concerns); and (c) What is the minimum number of staff required to operate each prison should an outbreak of COVID-19/coronavirus occur?
AnswerView source ↗
Answered
19 May 2020
Responded by
Minister for Emergency Services; Corrective Services
Response time
6 days
As at Friday 15 May 2020:
(a) 6 staff are isolating because of possible exposure to COVID-19/having some potential symptoms until they are given clearance to return to return to work. To date only 1 Prison Officer has tested positive to COVID-19. The Officer had returned from overseas and tested positive but had not returned to work.
(b) 15 officers were on leave due to the following reasons:
(c) The minimum number of staff required to operate each prison varies from site to site. There are processes in place for the continuation of service delivery in prisons notwithstanding any impact of staff on leave due to COVID-19. Each site has developed, as part of the Pandemic Planning process, Levels of Service Matrices detailing essential services for contingencies of 100%, 75%, 50% and less than 50% staffing levels.
(a) 6 staff are isolating because of possible exposure to COVID-19/having some potential symptoms until they are given clearance to return to return to work. To date only 1 Prison Officer has tested positive to COVID-19. The Officer had returned from overseas and tested positive but had not returned to work.
(b) 15 officers were on leave due to the following reasons:
(c) The minimum number of staff required to operate each prison varies from site to site. There are processes in place for the continuation of service delivery in prisons notwithstanding any impact of staff on leave due to COVID-19. Each site has developed, as part of the Pandemic Planning process, Levels of Service Matrices detailing essential services for contingencies of 100%, 75%, 50% and less than 50% staffing levels.
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